Red Roof, AAHOA leaders discuss fair franchising

It is the third large hotel company to meet with the association’s officers

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George Limbert, the president of Red Roof, will step down from his position on July 12 to pursue new interests. Mohamed Thowfeek, a member of the Red Roof Board, will temporarily oversee operations while the company conducts an executive search.

ANOTHER LARGE HOTEL company, Red Roof, has met with AAHOA leaders to discuss the association’s 12 Points of Fair Franchising. Red Roof executives, including President George Limbert, affirmed their commitment to work with AAHOA on maintaining strong relationships with its franchisees.

Along with Limbert, Red Roof’s representatives included Matthew Hostetler, chief development officer; and Fouad Malouf, senior vice president franchise operations. The company’s portfolio includes 680 properties in the U.S., Brazil and Japan. AAHOA released the 12 Points in April as part of educational offerings, and previously executives with G6 Hospitality and BWH Hotel Group, parent company to Best Western Hotels  & Resorts, held similar meetings to discus the points.

“Red Roof has been a longtime partner of AAHOA, and we appreciate their commitment to open dialogue for the betterment of our hoteliers and the broader hotel industry,” said Nishant “Neal” Patel, AAHOA chairman. “We look forward to continuing our productive and mutually beneficial partnership with Red Roof, including conversations about AAHOA’s efforts to educate its members and promote fair franchising across our industry.”

“The leaders of Red Roof are to be commended for their commitment to AAHOA Members and their willingness to engage in constructive dialogue regarding AAHOA’s 12 Points of Fair Franchising.

Laura Lee Blake, AAHOA president and CEO, commended Red Roof’s leaders for agreeing to discuss the 12 Points.

“In many ways, Red Roof is ‘bucking the trend’ by making several key decisions rooted in fairness, including its policy not to accept vendor kickbacks,” Blake said. “Such a policy really sets Red Roof apart as an industry leader. We also thank Red Roof for its participation in AAHOA’s Inaugural HerOwnership Conference & Retreat, along with the recent opportunity to hold AAHOA’s HerOwnership & Young Professionals Reception at the 2022 Red Roof Brand Conference for the development and elevation of future leaders of our industry.”

Limbert said Red Roof and AAHOA have a strong relationship.

“We appreciate AAHOA for its ongoing efforts to highlight best practices in franchising,” Limbert said. “We will continue to work with AAHOA to support its fair franchising initiatives, elevate hotel owners, address significant industry challenges such as the current labor shortages, and promote the growth of travel and tourism during a time of rapid change.”

During a press conference at the company’s annual meeting in November, Limbert highlighted Red Roof’s unique relationship with its franchisees.

“Being a privately held company, we’re not chasing quarterly reporting for shareholders,” said Limbert “We’re really in this together with our franchisees and that’s why you see a different type of tone to our conferences, because we’re in this together and this is a true partnership.”